Personal sports writing archive of Blake Murphy.

‘Let it rip’: Danny Green follows through in a game Raptors absolutely had to have against depleted Warriors

Title: ‘Let it rip’: Danny Green follows through in a game Raptors absolutely had to have against depleted WarriorsDate: June 5, 2019Original Source:The AthleticSynopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about an anonymous message on the Raptors’ whiteboard, Danny Green letting it rip, and the Raptors winning Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

OAKLAND, Calif. — “Let it rip.”

The whiteboard inside the Raptors locker room on the road is normally fairly straightforward. A few of the initial assignments, maybe some opponent 3-point shooting percentages and, if it doesn’t get erased before media can enter, some shorthand for different defensive coverages. It’s minimalist, as final pre-game messages sometimes are with days between games to prepare and information overload a risk. The work’s been put in, and the whiteboard serves as a final refresher before players hit the floor.

On Wednesday, the whiteboard was marked with an uncharacteristic message. The Raptors had been a little hesitant offensively in Game 2 and shot poorly on open looks, and the response at times has been to grow passive when the shots aren’t dropping. Not this time. The Raptors couldn’t afford it, not with the Warriors overloading on Kawhi Leonard and Steph Curry likely to be taking plenty of 3s. With the opportunity in front of them, there could be no second-guessing. And so someone – nobody seems quite sure who, or they’re doing a good job keeping it internal – wanted to offer a reminder and a vote of confidence in their teammates.